Nord Stream 2 in the Russia-Ukraine crisis

Germany has been saying from the very beginning that if Russia invades Ukraine, there will be consequences. However, in the last two days, this statement has been voiced more clearly and louder at the level of leaders. Germany has clearly put the Nord Stream 2 project, which carries Russian natural gas to its territory via the Baltic Sea, as a trump card.

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin, Olaf Scholz answered the question about the status of the pipeline, "In the case of military intervention in Ukraine, it is clear that the price to be paid will be high and everything will be discussed," and pointed out that the project could be stopped. Noting that Germany will abide by the agreement it has made with the United States regarding the pipeline, Prime Minister Scholz added that they expect Russia to reduce its military units as a sign to calm the tension.

At the same time, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking at a joint press conference with her Russian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow, also referred to Nord Stream 2 with the words, "Even though it comes at a high economic cost, we have no choice but to defend our common rules." Baerbock spoke in Kiev a day before as part of her visit to Ukraine and stated that steps could be taken towards the Nord Stream 2 project.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued that when the pipeline opens, it will increase energy security in Europe and that "attempts to politicize this project" will have the opposite effect. Russia's Foreign Minister, Lavrov, who asked for guarantees from the west that Ukraine would not be included in the NATO alliance, once again accused NATO of not complying with the agreements made in the eastward expansion policy.

Diplomatic work is gaining momentum

Speaking in Berlin, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that "NATO allies are ready to discuss concrete proposals on reducing risks related to military activities, increasing transparency and eliminating cyber threats" and invited the NATO-Russia Council to meet again.

The US-Russia and NATO-Russia talks that took place last week yielded no results. For this reason, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accelerated diplomatic work. Blinken, who visited Kiev today, is expected to meet with his German, British, and French counterparts in Berlin tomorrow and discuss "joint measures to be taken to prevent a possible invasion of Russia."

As fears of conflict increase, so does support for Ukraine from the west. Britain announced earlier this week that it would send short-range anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, who is visiting Ukraine, also promised to send troops and military equipment.

Russia is persistent

On the other hand, Russia denies the allegations that it will attack Ukraine and persistently wants to get a guarantee from the west that the NATO alliance will not expand towards the Russian border. They also argue that they can deploy soldiers wherever they want in their own territory.

The increasing tension day by day shows its effects on the economy as well. First of all, Russia-Ukraine tension, which triggered natural gas prices in Europe, is now hitting the Russian markets. The decline that started yesterday in the stock market in Russia continued today.